A Journey to Ancient Times: Labrang Monastery in Linxia, Gansu (Nationally Ranked No. 2)

Labrang Monastery is located in Xiahe County, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu Province. With a history of over 300 years, it is one of the largest monasteries of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. The monastery faces south and covers a total area of 866,000 square meters, with a building area of over 400,000 square meters. As one of the six major monasteries of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, Labrang Monastery is known as the "World Tibetan Studies Academy." Labrang Monastery was once the political and religious center of the Gannan area, with attractions such as the Faculty of Buddhist Studies, the Kalachakra Institute, and the Sakyamuni Hall. Its architectural style and features mostly imitate the four major monasteries of Tibet. Labrang Monastery has always maintained the best Tibetan Buddhist teaching system in the country and is a highly respected learning center. In 1709 AD (the 48th year of the Kangxi reign), the first Jamyang Zhaypa, Ngawang Tsundru, was invited to return to his ancestral home to build a monastery and promote Buddhism in the Qinghai Mongol Hosokt region. He chose Zhaxitan and began to build Labrang Monastery. In 1710, the main hall of the Faculty of Buddhist Studies was completed, and in 1716, the Tantric College was founded. After the expansion by the second, fourth, and fifth Jamyang Zhaypa, the monastery developed into a multifunctional building complex covering an area of more than 1,000 mu, with six Zhacang, 48 scripture halls, more than 500 monks' residences, as well as Tibetan scripture buildings, printing houses, pagodas, warehouses, kitchens, and other buildings. It has become a rising star among the six major Gelug monasteries and the religious, cultural, and educational center of the Amdo region. In 1763, the Kalachakra Institute Scripture Hall was built, with the main hall having five rooms from east to west and eleven rooms from north to south. In 1784, the Medical College Scripture Hall was built, with the main hall having six rooms from north to south and five rooms from east to west. In 1879, the Hevajra College Scripture Hall was built, but it was burned down in a fire in 1957 and later rebuilt with state funding. In 1941, the Upper Tantric College Scripture Hall was rebuilt. In 1946, the fifth Jamyang Zhaypa built the front hall courtyard in the main scripture hall, making the entire monastery more magnificent. This construction gave the main scripture hall hundreds of rooms, including the front hall building, the front courtyard, the main hall, and the back hall, covering an area of more than 10 mu, making it the most magnificent building in the monastery.